A Sandwich a Day: Porchetta at Federal Pizza, Phoenix AZ

In this great nation of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around the country. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know.—The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Erin Jackson]

It's understandable if you don't notice that Federal Pizza serves sandwiches. With so many tantalizing pizzas to choose from, you'd be excused from missing that section of the menu entirely. But, if you're in Phoenix, and craving a porchetta sandwich($10) you'd be remiss not to get it here.

The primarily pizza-centric restaurant does a bang-up job of the Italian sandwich. Pork belly is wrapped around pork loin (that's in turn wrapped with bacon) and baked in the oven. It's heavily marinated with herbs, plenty of salt, and lemon. After baking, the loin gets chopped up into thick, juicy cuts, and placed between a soft bun that's baked in-house, inside the pizza oven. On top, there's soft, caramelized onions and crunchy arugula. On the side, you get a great salad of mixed greens topped with a creamy balsamic dressing.

The porchetta sandwich is available in limited quantities, so go early if you won't be happy with anything else. If you're unlucky and the pig is out, I'd go with the meatball sandwich. It may not be porchetta, but it's a solid substitute.

Federal Pizza

About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best eats in San Diego. You can find all of her discoveries on her San Diego food blog EJeats.com. On Twitter, she's @ErinJax

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